Millions of Iranians cast their votes Friday for a new president. They stood in sweltering heat for hours at some polling stations, casting ballots from desert outposts to Gulf seaports and nomad pastures according to the Associated Press.

Voting was extended by five hours, a decision some argue simply met the demand, while others suggest it was a political move to showcase participation.

On one side there was nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and on the opposite side a former nuclear envoy, Hasan Rowhani.

Officials say there's no clear front-runner in the fight to succeed controversial President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but many in the West have criticized the race as being rigged in favor of Tehran's ruling system.

It's a criticism that sparked a harsh rebuke against the U.S. from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Meanwhile, outside Iran the country's Iranian diaspora voted including Dubai, London and points across the United States.

"I hope we take a step toward democracy," Behza Khajavi, said of his nation. He currently lives in Boca Raton, Fla. While working on a doctorate in Physics. He voted in Tampa for Rowhani.